


Destiny

by K_lara7



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: F/M, Rebel Captain Secret Valentine 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-02-14
Packaged: 2019-03-18 12:16:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,885
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13681500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K_lara7/pseuds/K_lara7
Summary: Once Upon a Time (or) A Long Time Ago...The challenge was to write a fairytale.  So we have the mystical Godparent, the evil dragon (The Death Star), and the HEA.From an early age, Cassian knew he was destined to meet Jyn and destroy a monster.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [imsfire](https://archiveofourown.org/users/imsfire/gifts).



> Imsfire requested a Star Wars Fairytale for her Valentine gift. I hope this is what she was looking for. 
> 
> I apologize for typos, I haven't done as much proof reading as I should have. This turned out a lot longer than I expected. Please let me know if I really screwed up.

Once upon a time, there lived a boy on a planet of sand. The world was a barren wasteland for as far as the eye could see. Days would be so hot under the double suns that people lived underground. Nights would be so cold as to remind him of the place of his birth.

His current home was the opposite of the planet he was born on. There he had been used to ice and frozen plains. For all the heat of his current home, nothing was as cold as the hovel he lived in. It wasn't the temperature that chilled him to the bone. It was the fact that he was now a slave, subject to the whims of his master. 

The days were short, even with two suns, and his assigned chores would take all the precious daylight hours, causing him to dream at night. Often in his sleep he saw a girl who stood on the other side of a chasm. 

In those scenes, rain would be pouring down. He would feel immense guilt, the cause of which he did not understand, but he wanted to fix it. In desperation, he would fight to get to her, only to know it was hopeless. She would hate him.

Other times he would identify with this girl. In many ways she was just like him. She seemed lonely and lost, a dusting of glitter to her frame. Despite the despair he felt from her in those moments, she was the only bright side in his current existence. 

The dreams were more like kaleidoscopes. Fractured images across time. Sometimes he saw her as a little girl, playing in black dirt. Other times she would be viciously fighting soldiers who were not quite like the clones who worked for the Moff. In every dream he found himself yearning to help her. 

Many times he woke from the dreams covered in sweat, her name, Jyn, on his lips. 

There would be times when others would join them in the dreamscapes. He would find himself tilting his head back to see the face of a grey droid. In exasperation he would find himself dragging people along behind him. Strangely, the other three felt like family, a pilot, a gunner and a man who fought like the Jedi Cassian had heard of as a child.

He didn't understand why, but no one in his dreams used his name, yet he knew they were talking to him.

Laying on his cot at night, he often found himself wishing he was with those friends on their adventures. In the visions, he felt like he belonged, he had a purpose. Unlike his current existence. If things kept on the way they were going, he would die in this barren wasteland.

His parents had been accused of treason to the Empire and executed without trial by a Moff who, conveniently, was also the person with evidence against them. As a reward for his service, the Emperor had bestowed the ‘criminals’ property on him. 

The property included the disposition of their only child, a six year old boy. Since the Moff had no desire to raise a dissident’s brat, he sold him to a Tatooine slave trader, who owed a debt to a junk salvager.

The salvager was only too happy to accept free labour in exchange for the debt. Since slave contracts could never expire on Tatooine, the man felt he got a fair deal.

From morning to double sunset, the boy worked underground in a workshop with no air-con. Once the suns went down, he was released from his duties for the day and could go above to watch the sky turn dark. 

This was his favorite time of day. His master avoided the night because he claimed Sand People roamed the waste lands. 

It was on one such night when he stumbled upon a strange man. The vagabond wore a brown cloak over white robes. His hair was chestnut, just starting to gray at the ends.

“Well, little one,” the man said, “What are you doing out this late at night?” 

The boy, wanting his privacy, tried to use words to make the man go away. He didn't understand why it worked, but sometimes he could keep his ‘master’ from hitting him just by telling him not to. 

“There's nothing to see here, sir. Move along,” he tried. Had he been talking to the man who owned him, that statement would have worked. The man would have left him alone, no questions asked.

Instead, the nomad looked puzzled. “I’m afraid I can't do that. It’s not safe for you out here. There are things in the dark that would choose to harm you. You should go back inside,” he said in an even tone. 

Getting frustrated, the boy snapped out far less evenly, “I said move along.”

Tilting his head, the robed man asked, “Does that normally work? Telling someone to go away makes them do it?” 

“Yes,” the boy said, sullenly, “now go away.”

The man smiled gently. “You’re much too young to be in the desert by yourself. Let’s get you something to eat. You look like you could use it.” 

Gently, the man placed his hand on the boy’s shoulder. It wasn't so much to guide him as it was to keep him from running away. Reluctantly, the boy followed. 

As they entered a bowl shaped hut, the child allowed himself to be led into an open room with comfortable white couches. “Have a seat,” the man offered. “Do you have a name?”

The boy hesitated. Names seemed magical, they gave people power over you. Reluctantly, he started to answer, “Uhm, my name is-".

The man put up a hand. “Wait. Think about this carefully. You can choose your path. Do you follow where you have been led, or do you find your own way?”

The boy just stared at him in confusion. Why couldn't he act like normal people? The man continued, “I was once like you. I had to make a similar choice. I chose to become Ben.” 

The boy looked down at his hands. He thought about his visions, about Jyn, calling a name he didn't know. There was a red haired woman in white introducing him to Jyn. She used that other name again, that person he wanted to be. He took a leap.

“Cassian,” he whispered. “Cassian Andor.”

The man smiled as he handed him the first hot meal he had had in a very long time. “It’s nice to meet you, Cassian. Now let’s eat. Then we can discover what you can do.”


	2. Chapter 2

That day was a turning point for Cassian. He no longer felt hopeless. Over the next couple years, Ben taught him to use strengths he didn’t know he had. His visions, Ben explained, were possible future outcomes. There was a very good possibility he might one day meet the people he dreamed of.

They spent hours honing his mind, developing his ability to ‘mind-trick’ others into doing what he wanted them to do or seeing what he wanted them to see. 

Ben taught him droid code and programming, always in secret after the sunlight had long faded. He learned to intuitively place parts in such a way that they built something far larger than he expected and functioned perfectly. Somehow he found his mind performing tasks that should have been impossible for a human. 

Over the course of time, he opened up to Ben about his visions. Several of his nightmares revolved around a ‘planet killer’ and his duty to destroy it. The older man merely nodded like having prophetic dreams was perfectly normal.

With some practice he learned to focus his thoughts better and hide his emotions. These were skills he would learn to depend on.

One day he expressed to Ben his desire to find the people who killed his parents and stop them from being able to hurt others. His answer was unexpected. 

“You, little one, need to bide your time and wait for your opportunity. The day will come when you can fight back against those who took your family. Today is not that day.”

And so for two years he stayed close to his mentor, sneaking out after his work was done. Sometimes he had to use mind manipulation to stop the master from discovering what he was up to. 

All of that changed when Ben received a message from off world. Cassian never knew what was in it, but his friend grew nervous about his presence.

“Cassian,” he said one evening, “I have made arrangements with a friend to take you away from Tatooine. Your association with me has put you in danger. We don't want to bring any unwanted attention to you.”

The boy nodded, not sure what to say. What had he done that would make Ben send him away. Silently he allowed himself to be led away.

After they made their way to the nearest spaceport, Ben continued, “My friend has sent a special envoy to take you someplace safe. Or at least, safer than here.” 

“Ben, I don’t want to go. I want to stay with you!” Cassian said, finally finding his voice as he hugged the man tightly. 

Ben knelt down and squeezed back, answering, “I wish I could keep you with me. As long as you stay, my presence will endanger you.” He looked up at the woman who had exited the small spaceship. “Bail sent you?” he asked quietly.

Cassian looked up in time to meet the eyes of the red haired woman. She was younger than the woman in his visions, but he knew her to be the same person. 

She nodded at him. “I am Mon Mothma. Senator Organa asked me to come in his place. He said it would be too risky for him to come himself.”

Ben nodded, turning back to the boy.Looking straight into his eyes, he vowed, “Remember, I will be with you wherever you go.”

Cassian pushed back and brushed away his tears. “Always?” 

Ben smiled slightly. “Yes, always.” 

Standing, Ben rose to shake Mothma’s hand. “You will take care of him?”

The woman nodded. “Of course.” Looking into her sad eyes, it was impossible to doubt her sincerity. From his dreams, Cassian knew he could trust her.

As the years passed, Cassian found himself being accepted for who he was. No one judged him for choosing to stay in the background. Soon, he proved an asset to the Alliance with his uncanny ability to blend into any situation. 

He had developed an amazing gift for bluffing and could somehow talk his way out of anything. Reluctantly, Mothma approved his recruitment to Alliance Intelligence, where Cassian went on to become a legend.

Discovering Kaytoo had been Cassian’s first real experience with his visions coming true. When he was 14, rebel soldiers captured and deactivated the security droid. The goal was to extract whatever tactical information from it’s software that they could. 

Cassian had shown an amazing skill for cracking Imperial code. He was assigned the task of ‘interrogating’ the droid. After some adjustments to it’s programing, Kaytoo became his best friend. 

Their relationship baffled the officers around him, but no one could deny the results. For the first few years they were confined to headquarters sifting through Imperial communications. 

Since Kaytoo was not organic, Cassian never wondered if they were friends because he could control him. The fact that the droid challenged him on many decisions made him trustworthy. Despite what others thought, Cassian knew Kay cared about him. 

Eventually he was promoted to Captain. Most of the Alliance knew him as Captain Andor, the U-Wing transport pilot who had an annoying former Imperial droid for a shadow. In secret, he inherited the title of Fulcrum, the Ghost of the Rebellion. Over the course of the next few years he completed an impressive 23 missions, many with Kay’s help.

They were making very slow progress against the enemy, or so they thought. Then Kay intercepted an Imperial communication about a plan to build a weapon powerful enough to bring the galaxy to its knees. 

Sitting in front of his console, Cassian’s heart started beating double as he realized this was the monster of his nightmares. It had haunted him for years. Destroying it was his destiny, but he needed to know what ‘it’ was. 

 

He had a bad feeling about this.


	3. Chapter 3

For the next several missions, he pushed himself to the limit, to find this elusive weapon. With his droid’s help, he found the Empire was mining Kyber crystal across the galaxy on every planet known to have a supply.

“We must make contact with Saw Guerra. He’s the missing link to understanding what the Empire is up to, and what they need Galen Erso to build.” Draven looked up from the table to his captains. Scanning their faces, he locked eyes onto the youngest one.

“Andor, you already have a contact with Saw’s people. Start there. See if your asset knows where to find Jyn Erso.” The general handed him a picture. “This is the last known holo of Jyn Erso. We have no idea how old it is, or what she looks like now.”

Cassian looked down at the picture and had to call upon all of his years of training to hide his reaction. He knew that face, she had haunted him for years. 

“Our current intelligence reports suggest she is going under the name Liana Hallick.”

Surprisingly, it didn’t take long for Cassian to locate Liana Hallick. He didn’t even need to contact anyone. There was a rather large explosion at a weapons center and all the ‘terrorists’ who survived were sent to Wobani. Because he had to meet Tivik at the Rings of Kafrene, Kay assisted the extraction team to find Jyn Erso.

It had taken him too long to get there. He was afraid Tivik would leave before he could talk to him. When he got to the alley, the man was panicking, bringing too much attention to them. His cover was going to be blown. Yet he couldn’t leave without the information.

Putting his hands up, he attempted to reassure the informant that he had tried to be there sooner. In a calculated move, he dropped his voice trying to get Tivik to cooperate. 

The man had told him what he knew of the ‘planet killer’, and had mentioned Galen Erso by name. Stunned, Cassian miscalculated and pushed the man too hard. Before he could get more out of him, two stormtroopers arrived. Using his voice, Cassian convinced the troopers to let him get near his weapon and they were both dead before either of them knew what hit them.

They had to get out of there, but Tivik couldn’t make it. Making a decision, Cassian called upon the skills Ben taught him to soothe the man, calming him before he pulled the trigger once more. Shaking, he made his way to the roof, knowing he should have been the one to die instead. 

Returning to Yavin, he was just in time to assist with Jyn’s interrogation. Looking into her eyes for the first time, he knew that she would be the death if him. Through the years, he had seen it over and over in his visions. Sometimes he would fall to his death calling her name. Other times, a vast wave would shake the ship they were in. On a few occasions, stormtroopers would be shooting at them as fire rained down on them. And once they were walking on a beach when he knew their time had come. 

No matter how he envisioned his death, he knew he would follow her anyway. Without her, he felt he didn’t have a reason to live. Every moment of his life to this point had been winding his way to her.

When Draven gave him the order to kill her father, he didn’t know what to do. He tried reconciling his feelings with his duty. Jyn would never forgive him, and she would be right. She stole his blaster, and he let her keep it knowing very well that she could use it on him. There was no way he was letting her go to a war zone unarmed, no matter what Alliance protocol was. 

It was their bad luck to arrive at Jedha just as Saw decided to make a move on the Kyber shipments. Their mission had put Jyn at risk. He needed to get her off world as quickly as he could. 

When it came down to a choice between protecting Jyn or blowing the mission, Cassian didn't hesitate to shoot the Saw’s rebel to protect her.

It didn't take long for them to pick up a ragtag group of friends, and somehow Cassian knew he could trust them. Through the years, he had seen them in his dreams. As he watched Chirrut in action, he was reminded of Ben. Baze had assured him Chirrut wasn’t a Jedi, but Cassian knew he had to be close. Without their help, Cassian and Jyn wouldn’t have survived the Imperials.

When they found Bodhi, Cassian used his silver tongue to calm him, reassuring the pilot that he was with friends. Then he was off finding Jyn again, knowing he was lost without her.

As they rushed the blast wave off of Jedah, Cassian took over the Nav Computer from Kay, instinctively inputting coordinates to get them off world. Kay knew better than to argue.

They were dispatched to Eadu, Draven telling him to follow through with his mission to kill Jyn’s father. He had the shot. Leaning up against the rocks, he heard Ben’s voice reminding him to choose the person he wanted to be. Galen Erso was in his sights, but he hesitated. Instead, he turned his rifle to the man in white, his finger hesitating. 

Every fiber in his being wanted to pull that trigger, regardless of the mission, until he saw Jyn climbing the crevasse, and all thoughts of killing fled his mind. He had to get her out of there! This thought was made more urgent by the group of x-wings that flew in over head.

Desperately, he pulled her away from her father's body knowing there was nothing he could do to save Galen. There was irony in deciding to let the man live, only to have the choice taken away from him. And he would have to face Jyn.

The confrontation on the shuttle almost undid him. He wanted to give up, walk away. Jyn was right. Blindly following orders didn’t make him better than the stormtroopers. And without Galen Erso did they stand a chance against a planet killer?

While Jyn pleaded with the council to go to Scarif and steal the Death Star plans, Cassian made a decision. There was no way the council would approve any risky move. Instead, he would go to Scarif, alone if he had to to get the plans. 

A voice behind him interrupted his thoughts. “It’s a suicide mission, Captain,” Chirrut said.

“You think I don’t know this?” Cassian snapped. “I won’t let her go without me.” 

“You won’t have to,” Baze said with a smile, gesturing behind Cassian to where Ruscott Melshi led a group of guerilla soldiers. “It seems we are all going to fight.”

They were all going to follow Jyn’s lead. It wasn't much of a plan, but Cassian had hope for it. 

At first it seemed too easy. Bodhi knew all the right things to say to get onto the base. No one noticed the imposter Lieutenant stepping off the shuttle with the too short platform guard after the inspection. They didn't notice the KX droid that appeared out of nowhere. It seemed the Force was on their side.

Kay was able to hack another Imperial droid, and they made it to the data vault. That’s when the last part of Cassian’s nightmares came true. 

Kay was gone, sacrificing himself for their safety. The man in white had reached them. Their desperate attempt to transmit the plans wasn’t going to work. So Cassian did something radical. For the first time in his life he made himself the target, drawing the director’s attention to him. 

Shouting at Jyn to keep moving, he took out two death troopers before Krennic got in a lucky shot.

As he fell, hitting beam after beam, he could only hope Jyn made it. He had failed her.


	4. Chapter 4

“Captain,” The distant voice called to him. “You must get up. Hurry! Jyn needs you!”

His eyes blinked open. Carefully assessing the pain, he pushed himself up off the metal grill he was laying on. Looking up, he saw the data tower. In confusion, he wondered where Jyn was. She must have left him behind. That was good. She had to get the plans out, or all of this, and Kay’s death, was for nothing.

“Captain!” the voice was shouting now. “Get up! Go after her!”

With the urgent voice pounding in his head, he forced himself to a standing position and followed the catwalk to a door. He hoped this led to a simpler route to the top. His battered body couldn't handle a strenuous climb. 

“You must hurry!” Cassian stopped for a moment as he recognized the voice. 

“Chirrut?” he asked, confused. Looking around he confirmed he was alone. 

“Go! Now!” the voice urged one last time and went silent. 

Giving up on finding the source, Cassian pushed through the door desperately looking for an easier way to the top.

It took all his will power to follow Jyn. His left side was on fire and he could barely hold his blaster. Somehow he made it to the top. He was just in time to see his biggest fear. Jyn had a blaster pointed at her heart. This time there was no hesitation when he pulled the trigger. The man in white fell, and Jyn looked up.

She smiled at him, trusting him to have her back as she completed their mission. He took in her appearance. Battered and bruised, looking like she had taken on a Rancor single handedly, she was the most beautiful person in the world to him.

It took but a moment to transmit the plans, and they were done. It was over. Hopefully someone was listening.

They made their way to the elevator, the doors closing behind them. Cassian braced as much of his weight against the wall and away from her as he could, staring into Jyn’s face. He brushed the hair out of her eyes, leaning in to kiss her this once. It might be his only chance. At least he would die without the regret of not knowing what she tasted like.

Stumbling out of the elevator, Cassian followed Jyn’s lead one more time. On the horizon, they could see a blast of rock and water coming their way. There was no way to out run destiny this time.

As the blast wave came toward them, he pulled Jyn close, unable to watch death coming toward them. All his life, he had known this moment was coming, everything he had done was still insignificant against the power of this evil. He had to hope they had done their part and the Alliance would be able to destroy this monster.

Pushing that thought aside, he depend his embrace, his hands shaking. Jyn had turned him away from the blast wave. He closed his eyes, expecting his past to flash before his eyes. 

Instead, he saw a possible future, one he could only feel remorse at never experiencing.   
In his mind, he could see his U-Wing landing in a hanger surrounded by ice, offloading with Kay, but a Kay who wasn’t quite the same. This droid had red piping instead of yellow. Jyn was there to greet him, her eyes moist, but refusing to let her tears fall. 

In the background, Bodhi waved at him as he turned to help one of the other pilots with a strange ship he knew was designed for close range recon on the snow outside.

The image changed again to a battlefield on a frozen tundra, ships making a frantic escape. Where was Jyn? They needed to get to the U-wing, now.

He saw a white ship, Alliance command on the move. A strange human general giving a briefing on a ground assault. Admiral Akbar and Mon Mothma each taking turns speaking.

For some reason he was prepping an x-wing, Jyn not far away, angry to be sidelined on medical leave. Pregnant women were not allowed into battle. 

The image changed again, and they were having a huge celebration in a forest surrounded by teddy bears. Yep, he was definitely feverish.

The last image was of Jyn, their son on her hip, her belly rounded one last time. It was a good dream. In another life, they might have had that future.


	5. Chapter 5

The wave never hit. In confusion, he pulled back from Jyn, only to see the blast wave go around the battlefield as if an invisible shield bubble existed. They were in the eye of the storm, yet they were untouched by it.

Cassian’s tired mind couldn't understand what was happening. As he looked up into the radiance of Jyn’s eyes, he lost consciousness.

Time passed. He had no idea how much went by. An incessant voice harassed him. “Cassian wake up. You’re needed here. Please, I can’t do this without you.”

That voice, he knew that voice. It was Jyn, and he couldn't leave her. There was a light pressure on his lips and he looked up to see Jyn pull back, away from him. “You’re awake!” she whispered. 

Looking around, he realized he was in the Medbay on Yavin IV. “Jyn,” he croaked.

She immediately turned to get him water, signaling to someone behind her. “Shh. Don’t try to talk. A lot has happened while you’ve been asleep. While we wait for the doctor, let me get you up to speed.”

Behind her, he saw the looming presence of Kaytoo, with red markings instead of yellow. Next to him, Bodhi stood, leaning on a crutch, smiling.

The space got loud for a few moments as the three of them explained the wild escape from Scarif. There had been a frantic battle over Yavin. The Death Star had been defeated, but not without a heavy price. 

Chirrut and Baze, as well as most of the men who went with them to Scarif were gone. 

They had lost more than half their fleet. Alderaan had been destroyed. Some famous Republic general had come out of retirement only to be struck down by Darth Vader. The princess had been captured and rescued. It was a lot to take in. 

After a while, the doctor came in end the conversation, sending Bodhi back to his bed. Kay went to hover by the door, and Jyn made herself comfortable on the cot next to him.

“What now?” he asked.

“That’s up to you,” she responded. “But if it were up to me,” she added with a smile, I’d like to see where this thing between us is going.”

“Yeah,” Cassian said on a yawn, suddenly tired. “Me too,” he added as he couldn't fight sleep any longer. Reaching out, he fell asleep clutching Jyn’s hand.

The next time he awoke, she was asleep on the cot next to him. They were alive, it was a lot to take in. How, he wasn't sure. 

Shaking his head, he tried to slide out of his bed.

“Jyn,” Cassian whispered weakly, trying to push himself out if his bed.

The doctor came rushing over. “Captain, if you need assistance, please ask one of the droids to get us. You were seriously injured.”

Nodding, Cassian settled back on the bed. Satisfied, the man left again. 

“I see you haven't changed,” a familiar voice said next to him. He turned to see an old man in red-orange robes standing beside his bed, smiling. At his side were Chirrut and Baze.

“Ben?” he asked uncertainty. The man looked like his old mentor, only much older, and see-through. 

“It’s been a long time, little one.” He reached out a hand as if to touch him, then seemed to realize he was non-corporeal. “It's time to live for something other than the rebellion.” Gesturing over at Jyn, he added, “Living is a greater victory than surviving.”

The men smiled at him as they started to fade. “Ben, don’t go.” 

For a moment, the man’s image got darker. “I’m not leaving. We will be with you, always.” Chirrut waved, Baze scowled and the three of them faded from sight.

Closing his eyes, Cassian let the calm of the room was over him. It had been a long time since he had experienced the visions. He had come to dread them so much. Now he let them come. 

In the vision, he was walking into his living quarters. The woman at his side looked up smiling. She had a young boy on her hips, who she was talking to. “Look, Jeron, Daddy’s home.”

It would take time, but they would live happily ever after. 

Cassian had foreseen this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope I didn't loose anyone along the way. I used this prompt to explore the idea of Cassian being Force sensitive. He was able to do things a human shouldn't be able to do. And I wonder if he had visions of his death.

**Author's Note:**

> I went to the same college as George Lucas. My English professor spent two weeks teaching us about why Star Wars was an amazing piece of literature and in his words, "The only true American Epic." He compared it to the works of Homer.
> 
> My astronomy professor said it was obvioua Lucas never took his class because a parsec is a distance, not a time. :)


End file.
